"No running, no jumping- don't even think about sparring- no acrobatics, no..." Master Che drones on as Obi-Wan secures his belt.
He would think that after five days of constant tests and monitoring, Master Che would be content with discharging Obi-Wan. No, she has to make things difficult for him.
"I think I've got it, Master." He says to stop her never-ending lecture. Her blue face is darkening as she rambles on, "Thank you for your hospitality."
"Hm." She crosses her arms over her chest, scowls, "Don't end up in here again, Kenobi, and I'd say we're even."
Obi-Wan steps out of his recovery room, takes a deep inhale of fresh air. A lot has changed since Hardeen was supposed to shoot him.
Windu took on the mission himself- and Anakin was given the satisfaction of arresting the Jedi Master in disguise as Hardeen. All Obi-Wan knows is that Windu has escaped prison alongside Cad Bane and Moralo Eval, and Windu's absence has been disguised 'officially' as a meditative retreat.
Anakin hasn't been told that Hardeen was hired by the Council. He's found a new interest to keep him occupied: making Ahsoka the 'coolest prosthetic leg in the universe.'
The Padawan's recovery room is Obi-Wan's first destination upon discharge.
Ahsoka looks up when he lightly knocks on the ajar door to her room. She's sat on her bed with the top raised, an untouched bowl of soup sitting on a tray across her lap. Still in a hospital gown, she looks small and vulnerable, especially with all the monitors surrounding her.
"Master Kenobi." She greets him, nodding slightly as her Force-signature swirls with relief. Was she happy to see him, of all people?
"You should be eating your food, young one, not playing with it." He says, entering the suite and shutting the door behind him. Every surface is adorned with flowers, platters of sweets and... flimsy cards?
"The meds have made me lose my appetite." She says with a sign before noticing him looking around, "The, uh, guys found out I would be out of action for a while."
"How thoughtful of them."
The men in the 501st truly adore Ahsoka. The only visitors he had were Master Che and Anakin- not that he wanted others to see him in such a state, anyway. Master Che only came to lecture him and perform regular ECGs whilst Anakin would stay and talk, normally for only thirty minutes at a time.
If your former Apprentice were in her position, wise one, you wouldn't want any distractions either.
He picks up one of the cards and reads out loud, "Dear Commander Tano. I am sorry to hear about your extensive injuries. Please contact me if you have any queries regarding your recovery. If it is alright with you, I would like to examine your vertebral body compression fracture for research. Best wishes, Sergeant Coric."
Ahsoka's smile is small, "Coric's always been formal. Wolffe sighed his card off with 'Yours sincerely.'"
Obi-Wan's surprised- even Commander Wolff sent her a card?
The next card he reads has a poorly drawn Togruta on the front- at least that's what he thinks it is. "Sir, it sucks that you won't be on the battlefield for a while. The Cap is going to be totally lost trying to fill your boots. Get well soon! Ridge." Obi-Wan frowns, "Signed with two kisses and two hugs."
"That's what the 'xoxo' stands for?" Ahsoka poorly feigns ignorance, and when she realises he isn't convinced, her smile falls slightly. "Attachment, I know"
"Admiration." He corrects subtly. Obi-Wan walks to the side of her bed, sitting in the chair Anakin has more than likely spent most of the past five days in. "How are you feeling, Ahsoka?"
She shrugs her good shoulder, "The pain isn't so bad, but the meds won't replace my leg." Obi-Wan's gaze drops to the stumped end of her thigh, the sight making him feel nauseous. "What have you been up to recently, Master?"
His reply is instant, "Council business."
He and Anakin agreed that telling Ahsoka about the problem with his heart will only prolong her recovery. "We had to track the bounty hunter down, and the war hasn't stopped."
Ahsoka averts her gaze, "Of course, Master. I'm sorry," she shakes her head, "I've just been lonely, that's all."
"It seems to me that you get plenty of company." Obi-Wan comments, gesturing to the cards around her room.
He understands what she means though. Togrutas are sociable creatures who find even short amounts of isolation unbearable. "How about I help you with your studies whilst you're stuck in here?"
It's the least he can do.
"I'd rather be training." She says, her gaze travelling to the stumped end of her leg. It's no longer bandaged up, and Obi-Wan doesn't find the scar very visually appealing. It's a constant reminder of how he hurt her.
"You shouldn't have used yourself as a shield between me and that bounty hunter, Ahsoka." He chastises.
"I knew you were going to say that." She plays with the hem of her hospital gown, sighing.
"You're far too young to be pulling off reckless stunts like that." He carries on, even though he can tell his words will have no effect on her. "What if you were killed? Or paralysed?"
"What if you were killed?" She hisses back.
Obi-Wan jolts back as if she hit him.
"Hardeen was aiming for you, Master." Ahsoka whispers, closing her eyes, "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."
She turns her head away and blinks at the window whilst Obi-Wan sits there, stunned.
He's spent years dealing with the guilt of not being able to save Qui-Gon. What if he had died and Ahsoka felt the guilt that he had felt after Darth Maul took his Master's life?
"Put yourself in my shoes- or shoe- Master." Her attempt to joke is admirable, and it reminds him that she really is Anakin's student through and through. "If you saw Anakin or I about to be shot and killed, would you stand back?"
You would never, wise one.
"No, I wouldn't."
Silence falls, and Obi-Wan takes his time accessing the girl's injuries. She's sat a little awkwardly, probably uncomfortable from the back brace, and her fingers on her left hand are twitching occasionally. He frowns, wonders how long it'll take for her to fully recover.
"Can I get you anything?" He asks eventually, feeling bad that he's free to move around whilst she's bed-bound.
She looks over at him, dark bags under her eyes, "Some caf would be nice."
"Caf," he repeats, standing up, "I'll get you some from the mess. Hang tight."
"I won't go anywhere." He hears her mumble as he leaves her room.
///
"Why are you removing the bounty on the three fugitives?" The Chancellor asks Master Yoda over the comm, but Anakin is hardly paying attention.
Hardeen escaped prison, and his biggest fear is that he'll come back and try to finish Ahsoka off. Anakin has to find out who employed Hardeen and what that scumbag has against his Padawan.
He won't let that employer make the mistake of putting a bounty on Ahsoka's head again.
It's been nearly a week since Hardeen attacked her, and Ahsoka's left arm still isn't moving on its own. Master Che said she would run tests, but she only replied with a huff when Anakin asked how long it would take for the nerve damage to recover.
Kriffing sniper.
Ahsoka's losing weight fast, and although the Healers assured him that it's normal for bed-bound patients to shed a few pounds, he's never seen Ahsoka so skinny before, and it's starting to terrify him.
Harden will pay in blood for doing this to her- Anakin is certain of that.
"You look troubled, Anakin." The Chancellor's voice brings him out of his thoughts, and he sighs.
"How can they expect me to just sit here and do nothing whilst the person who tried to murder my Padawan is on the loose?" He tries to control his anger, but he's never been this furious before, not even when his mother died at the hands of those Tusken Raiders.
He's terrified Ahsoka could've died that night. That thought scares him the most- losing her.
The Council are doing nothing to try to protect her. After Boba Fett nearly killed Windu on Vanqor, he and Anakin were given twenty-four-hour armed protection. Now, a much more lethal bounty hunter has harmed Ahsoka, and the window in her room isn't even double bolted.
Heck, Windu's gone on a kriffing meditative retreat in the middle of everything.
"It is possible that they do not trust you to control your feelings."
Anakin scoffs. The Council thinks he's the worst Jedi in the Order at shielding his emotions. He's never been good at that.
"Hardeen tried to kill my Padawan, and she has sustained injuries that will last her entire life." He says, his volume rising on every word. "And now, Hardeen's escaping with Cad Bane and Moralo Eval, and the Jedi Council won't do anything about it!"
Silence- he takes a deep breath. Repeats in his head what Master Che told him: no amount of anger will heal your Padawan, Skywalker.
"I have it from a reliable source that the fugitives were last headed towards Nal Hutta." Anakin turns to the Chancellor, surprise at this new information quickly turning into relief.
He can track Hardeen down.
"You cannot deny your feelings, Anakin." Palpatine continues, "They are what make you special. If you believe you can stop this plot against me, I trust you."
Trust: something the Jedi Council doesn't have in him.
"Thank you, Chancellor." Anakin can feel the tension easing out of his shoulders. Hardeen can be put back behind bars- where he belongs- and the plot against the Chancellor can be dismantled, "You won't regret this."
"No, I won't." Palpatine replies, but Anakin is already halfway to the door.
"Snips." He speaks into his commlink, his mind going a million miles a minute as he decides which ship to take. "Obi-Wan mentioned he would visit you today; is he with you?"
He wants to tell her that he's going after Hardeen, and he knows Obi-Wan will try to stop him if he hears.
"He's just gone to get caf." She replies, "Do you need him?"
"No, no." Absolutely not. "That's fine, but I need to tell you something."
There's a slight pause, "Go on."
"I just spoke to the Chancellor." Anakin pushes his palm against the hanger's entrance scanner, waits impatiently for the droid to confirm his identity. "He heard it rumoured that the fugitives are headed to Nal Hutta, and that's where I'm going."
He can almost hear her sigh, "Master, I don't think that's wise. Did the Council say you could do that?"
"Not exactly, but none of them will find out; I've only told you." He replies, "It's not like they have any plans to bring Hardeen and his pals to justice."
"They aren't common criminals, Anakin, they're lethal bounty hunters." Ahsoka emphasises, "You're rushing into this. Do you even have a plan?"
Nope.
"Of course, I do, Snips." The hanger doors open, and Anakin strides inside.
"Liar."
"Look, Ahsoka, it doesn't matter if I have a plan or not," he says, getting slightly irritated at her lack of faith in him. "Those bounty hunters could be causing chaos across the galaxy, and if nobody else is willing to put a stop to that, then I will! Besides, I'm not going to let Hardeen get away with what he did to you."
"I can't change your mind, can I?"
He paces between the rows of ships until he finds exactly what he's looking for, "No."
"Just don't get yourself killed. Please." She says before softening her tone, "Stay safe, Master. Ahsoka out."
///
After a quick visit to the mess, Obi-Wan returns to Ahsoka's room with two mugs of caf. Master Che will probably disapprove of her young patient drinking the stimulant, but Ahsoka looked desperate for it. He didn't have the heart to refuse her request.
"Black with sweeteners." He says, passing her a mug. Ahsoka takes it carefully, balancing it on her uninjured leg with one hand.
"Thanks." She says, smiling although her expression soon grows sadder, "I keep having strange dreams, Master."
Obi-Wan leans forwards, remembering the night she screamed out his name and Tyson had to sedate her, "Dreams, Ahsoka?"
"Or a vision, I'm not sure how to separate the two." She visibly shudders, "I... I see you getting shot by the bounty hunter and falling off the rooftop."
His jaw flexes. It's the same nightmare from several nights ago.
"I yell up to Anakin that I've got you and he needs to go, and then I try to stir you, and you just..." her hands start shaking, and Obi-Wan takes away her mug before the hot caf burns her, "you're just still."
"Anakin tries shaking you, and he yells your name, but you don't wake up." Her voice cracks and she turns away, embarrassment radiating off her Force-signature.
Do you see what you could have done to her, wise one?
How could he have ever signed up to this mission if this were how it would play out? He never even considered the emotional trauma that he would've caused Anakin and Ahsoka if he died.
"I'm assuming you haven't told Anakin about this?" She nods- it's probably for the best that he doesn't find out.
Ahsoka holds out her arm that isn't in a sling, "I can... feel your body," her voice cuts out briefly as she sniffles, "in my arms, as if it's real."
He gets chills. What if Ahsoka had to hold his body and tell Anakin that he was dead? She's a teenager- a child- for kriff's sake.
"Every-Everything after that is blurry." She shakes her head, wipes away the stray tears with the back of her hand.
Obi-Wan leans back in his chair, "You should meditate on it, Ahsoka, perhaps share your findings with Master Yoda."
Force knows, if he meditates with her and sees these visions, he might just breakdown.
She takes a deep breath, composes herself, "Yes, Master. I just hope nothing bad happens to Anakin now he's-" she cuts herself off sharply, her eyes widening.
Obi-Wan frowns, "Now he's what?" She looks away, spiking his worry, "Ahsoka, tell me."
"He's gone after Hardeen." She whispers, her eyes fixed on the window. "I tried to stop him, but his mind was made up."
He hasn't seen Anakin since the day before, but he just assumed he was in the Chancellor's office. That's usually where he has been when he isn't at Ahsoka's side or socialising with a certain Senator.
Now, he's chasing down Windu in disguise- who happens to be working alongside Bane and Eval. Obi-Wan doesn't doubt Anakin's abilities, but he's certainly fearful for Windu's life.
The end of Anakin's lightsaber is the last place one would want to be when the Knight is angry.
"Ahsoka." She turns to him when he uses a firm tone, her blue eyes glistening. "When did he leave, and where is he going?"
"He called when you went to the mess- I think he was heading towards the hanger." Ahsoka says, her lower lip trembling. She probably feels like she's compromising her loyalty to Anakin. "He said the Chancellor gave him a tip to go to Nal Hutta."
Obi-Wan runs a hand through his hair. "I need to speak to Master Yoda. Will you be alright on your own?"
She nods, although she doesn't look alright with that. "Please stop him, Master Kenobi; he'll only get himself killed."
"Hush, don't think like that." He puts a hand on the valley between her montrals and floods her Force-signature with calm, "Anakin will be fine."
"I tried to get him to stay-"
"I know, I know." He rubs her montrals reassuringly, "It'll be alright, young one, it isn't your fault."
It's the Council's fault for formulating this plan in the first place- it's Obi-Wan's fault.
///
"I'm over this," Ahsoka mutters as Tyson changes the dressing of the surgical scar on her back. She's on her side in her cot, hanging onto the rail whilst he cleans the small incision site.
"I don't blame you." He replies, "It's hard sitting around whilst the universe moves around you."
She tilts her head, frowning, "Speaking from experience?"
He huffs a laugh, not pausing his work, "I had scoliosis as a kid- spent a lot of time in here. It was hard, seeing all my classmates getting assigned to Masters whilst I was practically bed-bound."
Ahsoka hums, "Is that why you became a Healer?"
He laughs again as he gently clips her into her brace once more, "Well, I spent enough time in here, I may have well started learning a thing or two about medicine. Ready to roll back over?"
Tyson guides her back down, helping expel her pain into the Force as the movement aches. "There, all sorted."
"Thanks," she mumbles, resting her functional hand on the crown of her head. "This sucks."
"I know," he touches her should gently, "but before you know it, you'll be back on the field."
She won't be going back anytime soon if Anakin gets himself killed on Nal Hutta.
///
"Master Yoda!" Obi-Wan calls, bowing as he walks towards the Grandmaster in one of the strategy rooms. He stops in his tracks, "What is it?"
The alien turns, trouble etched across his face and swirling through the Force, "Complications with the plan, Mace has reported. Cut off contact, he wants to."
Obi-Wan mirrors his frown, "I've just heard that Anakin is headed to Nal Hutta to bring Hardeen to justice." He doesn't mention his source of this information- Ahsoka has enough on her plate without being interrogated.
To his surprise, Master Yoda scoffs, "Suspected that, I did. Leaving Nal Hutta, Mace is. One step behind him, young Skywalker will be."
Obi-Wan nods although he doesn't like the idea of Anakin aimlessly charging across the galaxy. The longer it takes him to find Hardeen, the shorter his fuse will be.
"Unhappy with my decision to refrain from interfering, you are."
"I think leaving Anakin to his own devices is risky." Obi-Wan says, crossing his arms over his chest. "He's quite... determined to pursue justice for Ahsoka."
"Understand this, I do." Master Yoda hums, "Tell him the truth, when he returns, we shall."
Finally.
"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan bows his head respectfully, "Until then, I believe Ahsoka could benefit from some meditation with you. She's been having visions of me being killed by Hardeen."
"Speak to her, I shall." Master Yoda promises. "Strange, the events that have unfolded are. Trust the Force to guide us, we must."
///
"Room service." Ahsoka turns at the militant knock on her door, a small smile falling onto her face when she sees her Captain standing in the threshold.
"Don't you have a curfew, Rexster?" She asks with a raised eye marking. "It's past 2100."
The 501st Captain has paid her a visit twice a day, usually bringing her a pastry in the morning and an iced caf in the afternoon- both from Dex's Diner. She can only manage some small bites or a few sips, but it's better than the crap she's getting served in the Halls of Healing.
"I'm here on special assignment." He says, stepping inside her room. Only then does she notice his civvies- not a piece of plastoid in sight- and a bed roll tucked under his arm.
"Special sleepover assignment?" She sits up further in bed and only feels the slightest twinge in her back from the movement. For all the brace is uncomfortable and chafes against her sides, it does its job.
Rex grins, "That's not exactly how the General phrased it."
She rolls her eyes at her overprotective Master, even though she's hated every second of sitting alone for the past five hours. She never expected Anakin to recruit her men as babysitters.
She wishes he didn't leave, but once Anakin Skywalker has his heart set on something, there's no changing his mind.
"You can set up camp here." She points to the floor on the left of her bed, closest to the window overlooking Coruscant's skyline. "Of course, we could just share the bed. It wouldn't be the first time."
Rex chuckles at the playful banter, "And risk Healer Che coming in to find her patient snuggled up to a clone trooper? No thanks, kid." He perfectly spreads out his bed roll in one attempt and then looks over at her, "The boys send their regards. How are you holding up, Commander?"
How can she even put it into words?
She can't feel anything below her left shoulder, she lost a kriffing leg, her back has literal cement in it and she can't eat without throwing up. Then there's the fact she's terribly lonely after five minutes without any visitors.
She settles for a pout, "My left foot keeps itching."
Rex frowns, his eyes briefly flitting to where her foot used to be. He speaks slowly, "You don't have a left foot anymore, sir."
"I know!" Dry, broken laughter bubbles through her chest, "Could you do me a huge favour, Rex?"
"All you need to do is ask."
"I haven't got out of this bed in nearly a week, and quite frankly, my sheds are sore as hell." She smiles sheepishly, "Could you be a pal and-
"Carry you for a bit?" He finishes, knowing her too well. She sheepishly nods, the chevrons on her lekku darkening. "Did the doctor say you could get out of bed?"
"Master Che didn't say I couldn't get out of bed."
"You've been spending too much time with the men, learning the loopholes of medical orders." Nevertheless, Rex walks to stand by her bed, "Tell me when something hurts, okay?"
"Sure." Ahsoka extends her good arm to him. "You're the best, Rexster."
He smiles back at her before carefully slotting one arm around her shoulders and the other underneath her. Her amputated leg struggles to keep itself in his hold, but she tightens her core, forcing her legs to tense.
Rex doesn't grunt when he lifts her into his arms- used to running across open battlefields which much heavier men over his shoulders. Ahsoka has to suppress a whimper. It isn't the movement causing her pain, it's just that her muscles are all stiff from being bed-bound for so long.
After a minute or so, Rex's hold is almost comfortable.
"They took the IV out this afternoon." She says, leaning her head against his hard bicep. There are no longer bandages around her head, just some suture stitches. "I want to see the stars."
"Sir, yes, sir." Rex chuckles as he slowly walks them to the window. Ahsoka tilts her head to get a better view of the dazzling sky. Force, it's been so long since she has gone outside.
"You know what I hope you learn from falling off a building?" Rex interrupts her thoughts, "Never throw me off a Geonosian wall again." She laughs genuinely for the first time in days.
"Trust me, Rex, I won't be the biggest fan of heights after this is all over."
The nightmares have put her off heights completely, especially the ones where Obi-Wan falls and doesn't wake up.